The best defenseman of his era, as evidenced by an amazing seven Norris Trophies in an eight year span. He hoisted six Stanley Cups with the Canadiens and spent a year as team captain. He was a driving force behind the establishment of an NHL Players Union.

I was thinking of taking another offensive guy, and I usually prefer old-timers, but I cannot argue with this guys production in the relatively short time he's been on the ice.

Those Cheap Bastards select:

Martin Brodeur, G, New Jersey Devils. He's just in his 14th year, and most of these HOF goalies were able to play anywhere between 18-22 years. I think he's going to move up most of these lists by the time he retires and will definetly be in the conversation for greatest goaltender of all time.

--4th all time in wins, 446. Will pass Sawchuck in wins with 2 wins this season.
--9th all time GAA, 2.21. However, his 813 games at least doubles the eight other goalies ahead of him on this list.
--7th all time in shutouts. With 5 more shut outs he will move to 3rd on the all time list.
--3rd all time in playoff wins. Will become 2nd with 4 playoff wins.
--2nd all time in playoff shutouts. Will become 1st all time with 2 more playoff shutouts.

This is an easy one for me. With my second selection I take Joe Sakic, C, Quebec/Colorado.

Super Joe currently sits 11th in all-time NHL scoring and still has a few good years left in front of him. He's led his team to two Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), has won an Olympic gold medal (2002), a World Cup of Hockey championship (2004), a World Championship (1994), and a World Junior championship (1988).

Sakic has also won the Hart Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, was the MVP of the 2002 Olympic hockey tournament, and won the 2004 NHL All-Star game MVP.

He's one of the classiest professional athletes to ever live and the state of Colorado is lucky to have had him for over 10 years.

I will proudly select the greatest player who never played in the NHL, Vladislav Tretiak, G CSKA Moscow/Red Army.

While he never got a chance to play in the NHL, he led the USSR to dominance in international competition that the world had never seen before or since. In his 13 years as the starting netminder for the Red Army, they captured 3 Olympic gold medals (1972, 1976, 1984), 10 World Championships and 9 European Championships. In 98 career international games, he put up an amazing 1.78 GAA.

He was first team All-Star goaltender in the Soviet League every year from 1971-84, won 13 League Championships and was named League MVP 5 times. He shined in Canada Cup competitions, which he began participating in at the age of 20 in 1972. He came in to that series lightly regarded as being "inconsistant" with "a weak glove hand that could be exploited at will." When that grueling 8 game series was over, the hockey world was buzzing about him.

He's a victim of the cold war in the sense that politics prevented him from showcasing his skills in the NHL, but that shouldn't tarnish the fact that Tretiak is one of the best ever to suit up and man the net.

I have studied the game of Hockey and read alot about the old-timers. I like this guys playing style and he would shore up my Defense pretty damn well. I select one of the toughest SOBs to ever play the game of Hockey....

The Kings select

EDDIE "The Edmonton Express" SHORE

Quote:

Edward William "Eddie" Shore (born November 25, 1902 in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada - died March 16, 1985) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL). His nickname was "The Edmonton Express".

In 1924, Shore began his hockey career with the Regina Capitals in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Originally a forward, he converted to defense while playing for the Edmonton Eskimos.

When the WHL folded in 1927, Shore was sold to the Boston Bruins of the NHL. As a rookie, he scored 12 goals and 6 assists for a total of 18 points. This was during an era when defensemen scored few goals.

Named to the NHL All-Star team for eight of the team's first nine years, Shore was the only NHL defenseman to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player four times. While playing for the Bruins, he won two Stanley Cups.

A bruiser known for NHL violence, Shore set an NHL record for 165 penalty minutes in his second season. He frequently ran over players and skated in a trademark crouch so that it was hard for rivals such as Billy Coutu to knock him down. In the 1925/26 season, defensemen Coutu and Sprague Cleghorn of the Montreal Canadiens were traded to the Boston Bruins. During their first practice with the Bruins, Eddie Shore strutted back and forth in front of Coutu and Cleghorn, presumably to show his authority as lead defenseman. Coutu body-slammed Shore, headbutting his skull and severing the ear. Shore visited several doctors who wanted to amputate the ear, but, at the end of that day, finally found one who sewed it back on. After refusing anaesthetic, Shore used a mirror to watch the doctor sew on the ear. Shore claimed Coutu used his hockey stick to cut off the ear, and Coutu was fined $50. However, Shore later recanted and Coutu's money was refunded. Coutu is quoted as saying he always gave Shore a "limp hand" after that. He also ended the career of Toronto Maple Leafs star Ace Bailey with a vicious body check.